Organizing a move

[Biscuits & Gravy]

I should be good at this by now since we've moved so much in the past 2 years, but I'm not. We are moving in a few weeks and I want to be more organized about it this time. I want everything to be neat, and organized, and go smoothly. I feel like in the past things have been really random.

Any tips, lists, or things like that to share so I can be more organized this time?

[limette]

Mark the sides and tops of boxes with what room they belong in and general list of items in the box.

Here's a checklist

That's all I've got!

[Nicole915]

Somewhere on my other laptop there is the other half of this list. Hope it helps!

Pre-Moving calls & details

Make a big envelope for all moving expenses and details (for reinbursement from work)
Get medical records, prescriptions, school records, vet and bank stuff transfered
Deal with all utilities
Order new address labels, and make out change of address notes to mail on move day
Change address with post office



Storage

Go through attic and basement, anything that isn't being used goes to goodwill
Anything that isn't going to be used between now and the move gets packed first



Kitchen

Get some paper plates and plastic cups for the last few days / first few days in the new place
Borrow coolers to move fridge / freezer
Leave some cleaning supplies to clean the house after you're moved out


Garden

Drain hoses
Dig up transplants
Pack up grill
Totes for any seeds/pots that might spill dirt out of boxes

[RollerCoasterMama]

This past fall I did a big combo declutter-to-sell/pack-to-move/divy-up-for-divorce. So I had to be uber-organized!

The thing that helped me the most was to start with a staging area. For me, that was the garage. So I cleaned everything in the garage and put up signs on the walls. A wall for STBX, a wall for me, and a wall for give-away/sell.

Then I had somewhere to neatly stack the boxes! I was able to go through one room at a time, first in declutter mode, then in get-ready-to-show-the-house mode, then in really packing mode. The walls of boxes got higher, but they were very organized. And right before I moved, I had a junk pick-up service get whatever was left of my donate/sell pile. They weren't very expensive and they do recycle and donate as much as they can, so it's not going straight to the dump.

Every time I've moved I've had a staging area, but the garage has been the best yet! Just pull up the van and load up!

[proudmomof4]

I feel with you. Within the past 15 years, I / we've moved 6 times, including a move from Germany to the U. S., back to Germany, and to China. I still don't know how we did it!

Some survival tips:
- declutter as much as you can as early as you can (Goodwill etc.)
- label boxes with room and rough contents (XY's room, toys)

I think you got some good advice from the last 2 posters already. There's a list about moving on www.flylady.net, including when to do what.